[MissTeeks]

Stajan not shy to lend hand to Jankowski

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/staj...ki/c-282206910

Funny, suggested Matt Stajan, how things always seem to circle back.
A fresh-faced Mark Jankowski can remember a time when his family would pile in the car and head down to the Air Canada Centre to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Among those the budding minor hockey star would key in on?
Stajan.
The one helping Jankowski through his first training camp experience with the Calgary Flames.
"Once you're over 30, you start getting to that age where you're playing with kids that watched you growing up," Stajan said. "It's weird to be in that position. It's gone by so fast. That's the reality.
"I grew up watching the Toronto Maple Leafs because I grew up in Mississauga, and Doug Gilmour was my favorite. My first game he was on the team and was injured. That's part of the reason I got a shot. He came up to me in the room.
"That meant the world to me.
"You'll look back at the guys you played with when it's all done, but it does come full circle."

"I got to see him a lot," said Jankowski, still fresh-faced at 22.
"He's been good with all the young guys … just talking to us about the city and the organization and everything. I think he's been a big help.
"He's a great player, so when I'm on the ice in practice I'm looking at him to see what he's doing and all those little habits that a centre in the NHL has to have."

"I was very fortunate … I got to room with Joe Nieuwendyk my whole first year," started Stajan. "That was unbelievable.
"For Janko . ..I'm not Joe Nieuwendyk or a Hall-of-Famer … but I'm trying to help him off the ice and get him more comfortable and help him learn to be a pro.
"You come in with your eyes wide open and not knowing what to expect. You're the top dog, usually, on your previous team, and you're coming in to play with all these pro hockey players, NHLers … you're wide-eyed.
"You just want them to be comfortable and know that they're that close to being here."

Jankowski, based on Stajan's scouting report, seems to be right on track.
"He's impressed me a lot," Stajan said. "He's come in early. He's trained with us most of the summer. I've skated with him. He's a smart player and he's big. He's going to keep growing into his body.
"And he's a good kid. That's the main asset he has going for him as well. We'll see what happens with his career, but I think good things are to come. I think it's great for this organization that, for some reason, some weren't expecting much.
"I would like to differ. He's going to be a player.
"With more and more experience, I have no doubt in my mind he's going to be an NHL player for a long time."